Lake Mead Intake No. 1 Modifications

This high-profile project had the potential to directly affect the drinking water supply for Las Vegas, yet was successfully completed on time with no claims or disputes. A severe drought had created the need for installation of approximately 180 LF of 12-foot-diameter piping to extend the Lake Mead Intake No. 1 entrance to a lower elevation.

Barnard offered close coordination with the Southern Nevada Water Authority in scheduling the work around the water intake needs for the water treatment plant. The work included underwater rock excavation; setting and grouting a fabricated steel pipe "tee" into the existing 10-foot-diameter intake shaft and grouting it in place; and fabrication, floating and deployment of a 180-foot pipe section onto constructed concrete foundations in water depths of up to 150 feet. Maneuvering the tee and pipe section from shore into place in deep water was all the more challenging given its combined weight of approximately 400,000 lbs. The project also included extensive diving, critical planning, and numerous deep-water survey and marine buoyancy calculations.

Lake Mead Intake No. 1 Modifications